


Tomorrow is Another Morning

by Morgane (smilla840)



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Jack being an ass, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-03
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-17 16:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilla840/pseuds/Morgane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Episode tag for Meat. Starts where the episode left off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tomorrow is Another Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Starts angsty, and then veers into the fluff – hopefully I didn’t let it get out of hands. But Ianto wanted the angst, and Jack wanted the fluff, and who am I to argue? Title taken from the lyrics of Jude’s ‘Everything’s Alright’.
> 
> Originally posted at my livejournal.

Owen and Tosh are ready to head out for the night when Ianto finally dares to enter Jack's office again. He finds him in the same position he's left him a couple of hours ago, still brooding in front of a CCTV screen, and so Ianto keeps his face carefully blank and clears his throat. There are things he wants to say, questions he wants to ask and answers he _needs_ , but he's not going to say any of that. He's made his choice. He had thought Jack had made his. Clearly, it's not that simple. Then again, it's Jack, and Ianto doesn't know why he ever thought it would be. 

"We're going out for drinks. Want to come?"

Jack's glare leaves the computer and Ianto takes the full brunt of it without flinching, raising a blandly inquisitive eyebrow instead.

"Might do you some good," he adds as an afterthought, and can't quite keep the sarcasm out of his voice this time.

It's enough to jolt Jack out of whatever dark mood he was in and his eyes clear. He checks his watch, frowning a little, and turns on a light, before switching his attention back to Ianto who is waiting quietly by the door.

"Nah. You go and have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."

Well. That actually answers two of Ianto's questions. So he nods and walks back towards Tosh and Owen, shaking his head slightly to indicate Jack isn't coming. Owen rolls his eyes, clearly thinking Jack is being a complete wanker about the whole thing, while Tosh looks back worriedly towards the office, but they both gather their coat and head for the door.

Ianto follows with a last glance in Jack's direction, but Jack isn't looking back.

\---

It's still early when Ianto excuses himself and goes home. He's only had one pint – and Owen had wasted no time in informing him that he was a loser – but he doesn't need to get maudlin on top of everything else. That, and he is starting to hurt all over. So he tells them he has plans – which is true, kind of: he and Jack were supposed to catch a movie tonight, but he guesses that's off – and squeezes Tosh's shoulders on the way out. She is looking vaguely panicky at the idea of being alone with Owen all of a sudden, but Ianto knows it's best he make himself scarce. Might give them both the push they need – and God knows they need it!

He ends up watching a movie at home anyway, in a – in his own opinion – fairly pathetic attempt to spite the world (Jack) but it only makes him feel lonely. He and Jack spend most of their evenings together these days – part of the whole dating process, according to Jack, and Ianto finds it cute that he is still using that as an excuse – and it's strange not to have him there, trying to divert his attention away from the screen. Strange also how quickly he's gotten used to it. But even miles away, Jack can still ruin a perfectly good movie – which is _not_ part of his charm, even if he insists otherwise – and Ianto gives up and goes to bed.

It's not that bad, really. He is just in a bad mood – getting beat up tends to do that to him. He knows Gwen is no threat to what they have together. That what she and Jack share is nothing like what he and Jack have. But knowing isn't believing, and Ianto has more than one reason to feel insecure when it comes to his place in Jack's life. Not that he is, usually. But occasionally there is a look or a phrase or a whole day that will make him wonder. On those days, he won't be able to stop the twinge of resentment directed at Gwen for being the one Jack turns to when he needs someone to talk to. Won't be able to stop the pain that it's not him.

Obsessing over it won't do any good, Ianto finally decides, and takes one of Owen's painkillers. What Jack needs is some time to wrap his head around whatever it is that's making him so out of sorts, and then things will go back to normal. 

Still, the bed feels empty without Jack in it.

\---

Ianto wakes up with a start when the bed dips behind him and can't quite stifle a groan as the sudden movement pulls on his bruised ribs.

"What's wrong?" he hears Jack ask, instantly worried.

"Nothing." He yawns and rubs his eyes, wincing a little. "Just a couple of bruises. Owen said it was fine."

From the guilty silence that follows, Jack is beating himself up for not thinking about that earlier.

"Show me," he orders softly, his hands already moving to push Ianto's T-shirt up.

Ianto moves with him to allow more access, and Jack gently traces his skin, hovering above the swelling, fingertips barely touching the darkening bruises and lingering everywhere else.

"I'm fine," Ianto says again, reading the silent examination correctly.

"Are you sure?"

Jack's voice is hushed and they're not just talking about his ribs anymore. Ianto sighs. It's not a discussion he wants to have on so little sleep and groggy from painkillers. In fact, it's not a conversation he wants to have at all. He loves Jack, and is quite happy with their new relationship. Jack knows that, and whatever happened with Gwen doesn't change any of it. Do they really need to talk about it? Ianto is good at denial, and not enough of an optimist when it comes to relationships – past experiences and all – to expect that anything good will come out of it.

But even in the darkness he can see that Jack has his stubborn face on and that they _are_ going to have that talk. So he sits up and turns towards the man.

"Look, Jack. I know I'm not first in your heart." Jack opens his mouth to interrupt but Ianto holds up a hand and goes on before he can. "There is Torchwood, and the Doctor, and... well, Gwen, I suppose. It's fine, really. I can deal with that. I just want you to be sure... I mean I don't want you to regret anything, alright?"

Fuck, he is tired all of a sudden. And it hurts, but he has to try and do this right. Truth is, he has no idea how he would cope with Jack leaving him again. He did, the first time around. He had to. But that was before. Before he knew that Jack sings in the shower – rather well – and that he always burns the toasts in the morning because he's too busy watching Ianto go through the routine of making coffee.

But the last part... that's true enough. He doesn't want Jack to be with him if he'd rather be with someone else. Just... No.

"That's really what you think?"

Ianto starts a little when Jack finally speaks, his voice too low for him to detect any hint of how he's really feeling. So he looks at him, trying to read his face, but even that is lost in the dark.

"Ianto, no. You've got it all wrong!" And then Jack laughs, a loud vibrant noise that echoes in the room, and if Ianto wasn't so surprised he might feel offended. "The Doctor was a dream from a long time ago – I just didn't realize it was dead until I saw him again. And Gwen... she's not right for me. I won't lie – maybe, if things had been different..."

"Rhys –"

"Rhys has nothing to do with it. It's about Gwen being who she is, and me being me. Friends is what we're meant to be. No, Ianto, you're stuck with me, believe me. And for as long as I'm with you, _you_ 're first – and that's going to be for a very very long time."

"Oh." Ianto says, and blinks. It's not like him to be so inarticulate. He opens and shuts his mouth a couple of times, no words forming, and all he can think about is that a heavy weight he hadn't known he was carrying around has suddenly been lifted off his shoulders. 

Jack's lips on his temple tell him it's okay.

"That's good to know," Ianto finally manages, and smiles, tugging on Jack's neck to demand a proper kiss, which he promptly gets. One that soon turns very enthusiastic and a bit messy, and Ianto has to break it off as a yawn escapes him.

"I should be offended, but you need to get some sleep," Jack tells him, still nuzzling his throat – which is nice, but distracting. Ianto sighs wistfully.

"You too."

"I will."

"Good."

Ianto settles back on his bed, finding a comfortable position on his side, and Jack immediately fills the space behind him. His warmth is comforting and his weight familiar, and Ianto can already feel his eyelids drooping.

"Love you," he mumbles as sleep claims him.

And he doesn't need to hear Jack's _"Love you too"_ to know it's there.

\---

The next morning they oversleep. They could still have made it back to the Hub on time, but Jack insists on sharing the shower, and Ianto doesn't have that much self-control, especially when Jack is in such a good mood. Predictably, once they're done with that shower, they need another one.

By the time they reach the Plass, they're a solid hour late. Jack steers him towards the lift instead of the Information Centre, laughter dancing in his eyes, and Ianto mock-glares at him, telling him to behave. It's bad enough they're showing up so late together – he doesn't even want to think about the scenarios the others have come up with – he doesn't need Jack making a show of it.

Then he realizes he doesn't care if Jack does. In fact, he hopes so. And from the way Jack is grinning with that secretive look on his face, he's definitely plotting something. It's a look Ianto is very familiar with – that 'something' is usually connected to sex – and one he loves – care-free is a good look on Jack, and one he doesn't get to wear that often. Ianto promptly resolves that he'll do everything he can to see it more often.

As the lift begins its slow descent, Jack wraps an arm around his waist. Ianto leans into the embrace and Jack's grin widens exponentially. He can see their co-workers watching them with varying degrees of curiosity, and he shakes his head slightly. They haven't been _that_ subtle – then again, he isn't sure Jack even knows the meaning of the word. And Ianto isn't much better, not when it comes to Jack.

The lift reaches the bottom and Jack's arm tightens briefly before withdrawing. He starts to move away but Ianto, feeling daring, catches his coat and pulls him back for a kiss. It's almost unbearably sweet and over way too soon, but it's there, out in the open for all of Torchwood to see. When Ianto finally lets Jack go, he opens eyes he doesn't remember closing to see Jack's slightly flushed face, and past him Tosh and Owen and Gwen, their expressions ranging from shock to disbelief. Ianto rolls his eyes at them and then ignores them to better watch Jack saunter towards his office, _that_ look on his face again. Ianto grins. Mission accomplished.

He should go and make coffee, he decides. And then bring Jack some. He's pretty sure no one will dare to interrupt them now.


End file.
